Tea Review 152 - Canton Tea Club Oolong

Xing Ren Dan Cong
Pouchong
Li Shan
Ali Shan
Hawaiian Makua Oolong
Canton Tea Club

I've never been a prolific tea reviewer. As you can see from the fact that this site has been around for seven-plus years and this is only review number 152. So while I welcome the fact that Canton Tea Club has been sending samples from their tea of the week program, there's no way I can ever hope to review them all.

But I would like to mention a few of the teas they've sent over the past few weeks, many of which seem to be of the oolong variety. If I were just a little bit more organized I'd have put together tasting notes on each of these five teas but alas, I have failed.

What I will say is that I liked all of these quite a bit and they're all worth your while. If you twisted my arm I guess I'd say that I liked the Li Shan and Ali Shan best, followed by the Pouchong. It was also interesting to try the Hawaiian Makua Oolong, which is just one of a number of samples of Hawaiian tea that have come to me by way of the club.

Image: Canton Tea Club
Sample provided by Canton Tea Club
Tea Guy Speaks Review Policies

Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Tea Review 144 - Peony Tea S. Oolong

Dong Ding Oolong
Peony Tea S.

After sampling a number of oolongs that didn't quite do it for me, I finally ran across one that did - this Dong Ding from Peony Tea S. As for those oolongs I didn't like, it's not that there was anything wrong with them. It's just that I don't like the more heavily processed varieties, of which this is most certainly not.

This one didn't have quite as much of that fruity, slightly perfumey thing that you often get with the lighter oolongs. Which I don't mind, by the way - floral and perfumey are just fine by me. While there were some floral notes here there was something else that I couldn't quite put a finger on it. The merchant claims there are some caramel notes as well, but I didn't get that.

In any event, I found this one quite drinkable. Here's what Peony Tea had to say about it:

Cost per cup (150 ml): $0.34
Hanyu Pinyin: dong ding wu long
Production area: Lugu, Nantou, Taiwan
Harvest time: Spring 2012

Summary: If you like depth and character in your tea, Dong Ding Oolong is a good choice for you. As you taste it, you can slowly uncover so many layers in this multi-faceted experience. Best of all- after you have consumed every delectable drop, your throat beams with approval at the remarkable aftertaste.

Slowly breathe in the deep aroma and enjoy the lingering floral and caramel scent.

Image: Peony Tea S.
Sample provided by Peony Tea S.
Tea Guy Speaks Review Policies

Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Tea Review 141 - Naivetea Oolong (x2)

Li Shan
Wen Shan Bao Zhong
Naivetea

Here are another pair of oolong teas from Naivetea. I've reviewed several other varieties from these oolong specialists so far and I have yet to run across a dud. Of this pair of light oolongs, I liked Li Shan the best, but there was certainly nothing wrong with the Wen Shan Bao Zhong.

Li Shan
Distinctive mountain essence, notes of fresh flowers and fruits, lingering refined sweetness.
Mouth Feel: Soft with light and smooth body
Aroma: Delicate, fresh nectar with fruit notes
Ingredients: Ching Shin Oolong
Oxidation/Fermentation: Light
Origin: Li Shan, also known as Pear Mountain, one of the highest altitude tea farming regions in Central Taiwan
Elevation: 2,100 meters/6,889 feet

Wen Shan Bao Zhong
Mouth Feel: Soft with light and smooth body
Aroma: Profuse flowers with hints of orchid and osmanthus
Ingredients: Ching Shin Oolong
Oxidation/Fermentation: Light
Origin: Highest altitude tea farm in Ping Lin, Northern Taiwan
Elevation: 650 meters/2,132 feet

Sample provided by The Persimmon Tree
Tea Guy Speaks Review Policies

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Tea Review 139 - Naivetea Shan Lin Shi Oolong

Shan Lin Shi Oolong
Naivetea

Here's another light oolong from the oolong specialists at Naivetea. This one, according to their Web site, is from one of the highest altitude farms in central Taiwan. And while I don't know if anything can hold a candle to their Da Yu Ling oolong that I reviewed recently this one comes very close. It's very light and delicate but not at the expense of flavor and there's just a hint of astringency on the finish. Which is actually kind of nice.

Here's what Naivetea has to say about it:

Distinctive mountain essence, sophisticated flavor, notes of fresh flowers and leaves, lingering refined sweetness.

Mouth Feel: Soft with light and smooth body
Aroma: Delicate, fresh flowers
Ingredients: Ching Shin Oolong
Oxidation/Fermentation: Light
Origin: The highest altitude tea farm near the protected forest of Shan Lin Shi, Central Taiwan
Elevation: 1,900 meters/6,233 feet

Sample provided by Naivetea
Tea Guy Speaks Review Policies



Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Tea Review 138 - Naivetea Passion Fruit Oolong

Passion Fruit Oolong
Naivetea

I'm not generally a fan of flavored tea, but there are a few rare exceptions. Black tea paired with flavors such as peach, mango or passionfruit often work for me, as does this blend of passion fruit and oolong, from Naivetea. I don't have a lot to say about it other than the fact that it works. It seems that they started with a good oolong for the base and the passion fruit is flavorful without being overpowering, which is a problem I've noted with a lot of flavored teas.

Here's what Naivetea has to say about this one:

Elegant oolong taste, tropical fruit, fragrant finish, subtly sweet aftertaste.
Mouth Feel: Light and smooth body
Aroma: Exotic passion fruit
Ingredients: Oolong, passion fruit, natural passion fruit extract

Sample provided by Naivetea
Tea Guy Speaks Review Policies

Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Tea Review 137 - Naivetea Da Yu Ling

Da Yu Ling
Naivetea

As I've mentioned before in these pages, my primary interest and focus is on black and green teas. Which doesn't mean that I don't like some of the lighter varieties of oolong but they're not something that I normally seek out. Fortunately, a few oolong samples came my way the other day, thanks to the good people at Naivetea. They do oolong tea exclusively, as they note at their web site:

As the only company in the U.S. to focus specifically on Taiwanese oolong teas, Naivetea works exclusively with the finest small-production tea farmers in Taiwan’s renowned tea-growing regions to procure the highest quality tea possible, many of which are otherwise only available in Taiwan and China.

This is the first of the samples I've tried thus far. Obviously, I'd be jumping the gun if I said that it was the best but I'm trying to imagine how you could improve on this and I'm not coming up with any answers. It brews up to a very appealing light golden color and is one of the smoothest, most flavorful oolong teas that I can ever remember sampling.

Here's what Naivetea has to say about it:

Distinctive mountain essence, fresh flower and evergreen notes, lingering refined sweetness.
Mouth Feel: Soft with light, smooth body
Aroma: Delicate, fresh, floral
Ingredients: Ching Shin Oolong
Oxidation/Fermentation: LightOrigin: Da Yu Ling, in one of the highest elevation tea farming areas of Central Taiwan
Elevation: 2,300 meters/7,545 feet

Sample provided by Naivetea
Tea Guy Speaks Review Policies

Cuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper

Tea Review 136 - Le Palais des Thés Bao Zhong Imperial

Bao Zhong Imperial
Le Palais des Thés

Most of the tea I drink is either black or green. I tend to forget about oolong sometimes but then I run across something like Bao Zhong Imperial, by Le Palais des Thés, and I realize that I need to expand my horizons more often. While I'm not very fond of the heavier, more fermented oolongs I do quite like the lighter varieties. Le Palais des Thés claims that this one is about ten percent fermented and it's got a very delicate but pleasant aroma and a flavor to match. While it doesn’t quite match up to my favorite green and black teas I'd have no problem drinking it on a regular basis.

Here's what Le Palais des Thés has to say about this one:

This is one of the most celebrated teas from Taiwan. Its name means "wrapped in paper" in Chinese, because the tea is wrapped in white cotton paper before fermentation to preserve the delicacy of its leaves. A beautiful tea with large, twisted leaves that produces a straw-yellow liquor with a flowery, almost peppery taste, it evokes narcissus and jasmine flowers with a perfect blend of green and sweet notes. Should be enjoyed according to the rules of Gong Fu Cha. Low in caffeine.

Sample provided by Le Palais des Thés
Tea Guy Speaks Review Policies

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker

Tea Review 116 - Adagio Teas Gourmet Tea Collections

Artisan Comfort Collection
Sweet Medley Collection
Adagio Teas

Up today, two collections of gourmet tea from Adagio Teas. Each contains five pyramid bags of six different teas. The Artisan Comfort Collection features mostly unflavored black, white, green and oolong teas and the Sweet Medley Collection contains flavored black, white, green, oolong, rooibos and a tisane.

I won't comment on each one of these teas, but there are a few that stand out for me. Not surprisingly, given my preference for unflavored tea, those are the ones I liked best. Especially noteworthy, at least for me, the Dragonwell, Oolong Goddess, and especially the Golden Yunnan, all from the Artisan Comfort Collection.

As for the Sweet Medley Collection, I liked the Peach Oolong best and I always go for a good strong Peppermint. Also surprising, since I don't like Earl Grey or vanilla, is the relatively palatable blend I came up with when I blended the former with the Vanilla Rooibos.

Artisan Comfort Collection
Jasmine Pearls
Silver Needle
Dragonwell
Wuyi Oolong
Golden Yunnan
Oolong Goddess

Sweet Medley Collection
Earl Grey
Citrus Green
Peach Oolong
Peppermint
Blueberry White
Vanilla Rooibos

Tea Guy Speaks Amazon Store

Tea Review 112: Wiseman Tea Company

My apologies to the gang at Wiseman Tea Company for not getting around to this sooner. I've fallen behind on my reviewing lately but I'm making an effort to get caught up.

First things first. Wiseman sent samples of an Earl Grey and Genmaicha, but since these are both varieties that I've never cared much for I wont say much about them. Ditto for the Puerh. I will say that all of these seemed of a decent quality or better, if you're into this sort of thing.

Some of the Wiseman teas that I did like included a very good Rooibos. It might be tempting to think - as I used to - that all Rooibos is created equal, but this is definitely not the case. What set this one apart was simply that it was smoother and more flavorful than many Rooibos varieties I've tried.

Wiseman also provided a very nice Dragonwell. As far as reliability goes, Dragonwell might be among the tops of all tea varieties. I've been trying to think if I've ever run across one I didn't like and I'm coming up dry.

Among the surprises in this bunch were some of the flavored teas, which I typically don't get too excited about. Both the Shalimar Oolong (oolong, aronia berries, mango cubes, rose petals) and the Pearl of Fruits (green Tea, black tea, orange peels, rose petals, safflowers, and marigold petals) were interesting. But I think it was the South Sea Magic (black tea, rose blossoms, sunflower blossoms, cornflower blossoms) that stood out the most from this bunch. Not a bad combo as far as this sort of thing goes.

And how about that slogan?

Tea Guy Speaks Amazon Store

Tea Review 104 - Adagio Huang Jin Bolero

Huang Jin Bolero
Adagio Teas

My interests in tea tend mostly toward black and green, for the most part, but I'm not averse to a good oolong now and then. The heavier, smoky oolongs don't do much for me but the lighter more delicate varieties do. Which is where Adagio's Huang Jin Bolero fits in. This one has that subtle, fragrant - almost fruity - aroma that I think of when I think oolong. But your mileage may vary.

Here's Adagio's blurb for Huang Jin Bolero: "Huang Jin Gui is an Anxi oolong whose name means "Golden Flower." A lightly roasted oolong our 'Bolero' reveals an intensity with hints of honey and flowers you will find enticing and seductive."

Works for me.

RedUmbrella Tea
Canada’s Loose Leaf Tea Co.

Tea Review 103 - Canton Tea Co. (x5)

Anxi Rou Gui
Pouchong
Keemun Gongfu
Bai Ling Gong Fu
Jiu Qu Hong Mei
Canton Tea Co

Thanks to the good people at Canton Tea Co, who were kind enough to send along samples of five of their teas. Here's the lowdown.

Anxi Rou Gui
I'm not enamored of the more robust oolongs, so this one was right up my alley. It has that light almost fruity taste that seems so typical of many of the lighter oolong varieties.

Pouchong
Another light and flavorful oolong, one that Canton Tea classifies with their greens, even though it's actually a Taiwanese oolong.

Keemun Gongfu
Of all of the better-known black tea varieties, I probably have the least experience with keemun, a Chinese black. While I wasn't sure what to expect with this one I was quite pleasantly surprised. A nice smooth aroma and rich flavor with just a hint of smokiness. The latter is something that usually puts me off but the smokiness was subtle enough that it didn't bother me. Probably my favorite out of this bunch. As the seller's blurb notes, this is "the highest grade of keemun red teas."

Bai Ling Gong Fu
I don't think I've ever tasted this variety before. I liked it quite a bit but couldn't really think of any other black teas to compare it to. Truly unique, with a smooth and light flavor that's perhaps a bit reminiscent of a somewhat more robust Darjeeling.

Jiu Qu Hong Mei
There's something to be said for writing your reviews as you're tasting the teas. Since I've forgotten what this variety tasted like I'll revert to the seller's description, "A rare red tea, first developed in the 1980’s. The leaves are long and thin and the taste sweet with a hint of dried fruits. This tea produces a bright liquor and has a wonderful fruity flavour and refreshing mouth-feel."

Adagio Teas triniTea Tea Maker
Zarafina Tea Maker Suite

Tea Review 90 - Portsmouth Tea Company (x3)

Irish Breakfast
Satin Oolong
Avalanche Rooibos
Portsmouth Tea Company

The good people at Portsmouth Tea Company sent along samples of a few of their teas recently. Here's my two cents worth.

Irish Breakfast
I haven't run across many breakfast blends that I really liked, but this one was a happy exception. Though they don't get as much attention as other types of tea, a topnotch Assam is a thing of wonder. This "hearty Assam blend" compares favorably with some of the best I've tasted and the tin was empty in no time.

Satin Oolong
I'm still not sure what to make of this one. It's described as a "milk-infused oolong," which means that the leaves are soaked in milk. This gives it a very strong buttery aroma. Not being a fan of butter or its awful aroma, I was put off by it and set it aside for a while. When I finally gave it a go I found that I could get past the aroma and the tea itself was quite good otherwise.

Avalanche Rooibos
Portsmouth calls this one "a delightful combination of apple bits, lemongrass, ginger, orange peels, basil and red pepper." Works for me. I don't care much for rooibos served hot, but I've taken to drinking quite a bit of it iced these days. This made for a nice change of pace from straight up rooibos, though my preference was to tone this one down a bit by mixing the two.


shop for tea books.

tea, green tea, food, food and drink

Tea Review 88 - Anteadote Oolong

Tea Review 88 - Anteadote Organic Oolong Tea
Adagio Teas

I don't drink tea with milk, sugar, lemon or anything else. I don't look down my nose at anyone who does - it's just a personal preference. Ditto for bottled teas. Right off the top of my head I can think of a few (lightly) sweetened ones that were okay, but none that really bowled me over. Which is why I like Adagio's Anteadote line of bottled teas so much. No sweeteners.

I've reviewed several of the Anteadote flavors already (black, jasmine, white), but I recently had a chance to try them all again, including the newly released oolong. This one debuted in early October, according to Adagio. It's made with a Ti Kuan Yin tea variety from Fujian, China and, like all Anteadote flavors, contains nothing else but water and citric acid.

I've never been a fan of the heaver, more oxidized oolongs, but fortunately this is not one of those. It has a nice light, slightly floral taste. While it won't unseat Anteadote's white as my favorite of their five flavors, it's good enough to take the second place slot.

Recommended.


shop for tea books.

tea, green tea, food, food and drink

Tea Review 44 - Bottled Peach Teas (X2)

White Peach White Tea
Inko's White Iced Tea

Peach Oo-La-Long
Honest Tea

I wouldn't go so far as to say that I've never met a bottled tea I liked, but it's close. The problem with bottled tea, at least for me, is the sweetener factor, that notion that a bottled beverage won't fly with the sugar-addled American public unless it's sweet.

White Peach White Tea is the first Inko's tea I've tried. The propaganda on the bottle trumpets the health benefits of white tea and features the slogan, "what white tea tastes like." Uhhh...

Anyway, the ingredients in this one are premium brewed white tea, fructose crystals (an especially vile "F" word, in my book), all-natural white peach extract and citric acid.

Inko's does get big points for appearance, with a nice crystal clear amber color. As for taste - not bad, but I just couldn't get past that fructose thing. Sorry, I really tried.

Honest Tea's Peach Oo-La-Long fares a little better in the taste department, though I'm considering giving them a demerit for the excessively cutesy poo name. I'd also knock off points for cloudiness, but granted that's not nearly as important a consideration as taste.

Peach etc. is an organic fomulation that - oddly enough - places organic Fair Trade Certified oolong and black tea fourth in the billing after purified water, organic sugar and organic peach puree. Also in the mix are organic brown rice syrup, natural peach flavor and that yummy old citric acid.

The presence of two sweeteners was somewhat alarming, but the sweetness factor here is actually quite understated or, as the blurb on the bottle would have it, it's "a tad sweet." Indeed. Overall, the taste wasn't so bad. On a stifling hot day I might just be able to knock off a bottle or two of this stuff.

Tea Review 42 - Adagio Oolong Symphony 18 & 40

Oolong Symphony 18
Oolong Symphony 40
Adagio Teas

Oolong tea can cover a wide range of territory, from varieties that resemble a green tea to those that are very close to black. There's no better way to illustrate this fact than by comparing two teas from Adagio - Oolong Symphony 18 and Oolong Symphony 40.

Oolong 18 features tightly rolled, large, greenish leaves that are reminiscent of a loose green tea. The recommended 180 degrees and five minutes steeping time produces a pale golden brew with a delicate fragrance that resembles a classic oolong, if there is such a thing. Oolong 18 is available in four sizes from a $4 sample to a pound that goes for $42 and also in teabags.

By contrast, the oolong 40 (according to Adagio, the number represents the percentage of fermentation the leaves are subjected to) is considerably darker, albeit with silver tips. It brews up to something almost like a black tea with faint fruity overtones that are not unlike a Darjeeling.

Oolong 40 is also available in four sizes, ranging from $4 to $39.

Tea Review 37 - Adagio Opus Pouchong

Opus Pouchong
Adagio Teas

When it comes to oolong tea my descriptive vocabulary - which is no great shakes in the first place - tends to break down. To paraphrase that age old cliché, I don't know about oolong, but I know what I like.

Opus Pouchong is a Formosa oolong, a reference to the island - now Taiwan, once Formosa - where it's grown. Oolong teas may run the gamut from lightly processed and resembling a green tea to heavily processed and much closer to a black tea. Pouchong refers to an oolong which falls into the former category.

Opus Pouchong has large green leaves that brew up to a light amber color in the cup and give off a nice delicate fragrance. As for the taste, well, here's where my vocabulary breaks down, but I can say that it's a very pleasant flavor, very smooth with almost none of the "bite" that tends to put me off of some oolongs.

Available, as always, in four sizes, from a $2 sample tin to a half pound size that goes for $28.

Recommended.

Contents: Sample tin
I paid: na